


Do Me A Favour

by talkingtothesky



Category: Life on Mars (UK)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-22
Updated: 2013-01-22
Packaged: 2017-12-12 03:28:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/806660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talkingtothesky/pseuds/talkingtothesky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Sam is both injured and a bamf, and Gene does not like being worried by this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Do Me A Favour

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Little_Cello](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Cello/gifts).



> See the accompanying artwork by fern_tree [here](http://lifein1973.livejournal.com/2391068.html).

It was early in the morning and CID was empty apart from Gene, who was in his office having a bit of a think and some liquid breakfast. He looked up from his desk when the outer doors clattered open and in came DI Tyler, his chin tucked down to his chest in an attempt to hold onto a wad of manila folders because his arms were otherwise occupied with...crutches. Gene sat up straighter to get a better look through the blinds. Sam didn't notice Gene, preoccupied as he was with getting through the doors before they could swing shut on him again. He had his leather jacket tied loosely around his waist with the sleeves, and his right leg was encased in plaster up to the knee, bare foot poking out the end of it. 

 

As Gene watched, Sam managed only a short distance before the end of one of his crutches landed in Ray's rubbish bin instead of the floor and he dropped the files all over the place as he caught himself against the edge of Ray's desk. He swung himself into the nearby chair, jacket falling off him as he gingerly sat down and leaned over, trying to pick up the scattered papers.

 

Gene stood up, walked quietly to his door, opened it and then coughed loudly. Sam jumped in the seat and turned. "Guv!"

 

Gene folded his arms. "What happened to you, been trying to teach pole dancers how it's done?"

 

Sam bit his lip. "I fell down the stairs."

 

"What stairs?"

 

"To my flat."

 

Gene frowned. "You don't have stairs, you live on the ground floor."

 

There was a tense silence as Sam glared at him. "It's none of your business."

 

Gene felt distinctly uneasy about this. Sam keeping secrets from him never ended well. "You can sod off then. I'll drive you home. You can wobble about and knock things over on your own time."

 

Sam rolled his eyes, thoroughly unconvinced by Gene's attempt to get rid of him. "Oh, come on! I only got these last night. They take a bit of getting used to, but I'm learning fast. And my notes - if you bothered to read them, you might find I've already solved the case that you were going to work on today anyway."

 

"You solved the case. With a broken leg." Gene was equal parts sceptical and impressed. He settled for lifting his eyebrows.

 

Sam shrugged and started trying to reach the floor again. "I did, actually. The pain was very inspirational." He gritted his teeth. "Would you do me a favour?"

 

\---

 

Gene held the door open for Sam as he settled himself in the passenger seat. He went to take the crutches off him to put them in the back, but Sam held onto them. "I'm not having you swanning off, forgetting to give them back and leaving me stranded." He tucked them into the car between his legs; they only just managed to fit without stabbing a hole in the roof.

 

Gene just sighed in frustration, shutting the door and then going round to the driver's side. Pandering to Tyler's every whim was getting on his nerves already. He had only been driving for ten minutes when Sam suddenly pointed out of the window at their new prime suspect for the case. Sam was absolutely convinced the man was guilty. Gene was still reluctant to believe he'd done it because his gut had been telling him something different from the start.

 

"Stop the car!" Sam shouted, making a grab for the handbrake. Gene swatted him away, but too late, they'd been spotted. Evans was running. Gene swore and killed the engine. As soon as the Cortina came to a halt, Sam, utter lunatic that he was, opened his door and got out his crutches. With mounting horror and disbelief Gene reached across and snatched at Sam's collar, missed. 

 

"Tyler!" Sam had leapt out and given chase as though determined to win a three-legged race. Gene flung open his door and ran after them both, but they had a good few seconds' head start which soon widened. By the time Gene caught up, Sam had Evans pinned to the wall of an alley with one walking stick across his throat. 

 

\---

 

"Don't you ever do that again." Gene was standing opposite Sam with his hands on his hips. 

 

"Don't doubt my abilities."

 

"You need some rest, you daft git. It's common sense. You don't have to prove anything, I know how good you are."

 

"So you admit that I'm good at what I do."

 

"Yes, you insecure bastard!"

 

"Fine."

 

"And in future, warn me before you're going to start playing the human slinky. It's unnerving. I still can't believe you...Are you faking it? Is that why you can't tell me how it happened?" On a careless whim he lifted his foot and gently tapped Sam's cast with his toes. 

 

Sam folded like a house of cards. He grabbed the front of Gene's coat as he fell. Gene caught him and lowered him down to his bed, where Sam clutched at his knee, turned hurt eyes on his Guv. "If I had been, I wouldn't be after that." 

 

"It was only a tap!"

 

Sam shook his head and screwed his eyes shut as he continued to grimace with pain. Much of Gene's anger evaporated, though he was still annoyed that Sam didn't trust him enough to tell him how the leg had been broken.

 

"If I see you in work tomorrow, I will phone every doctor in Manchester and tell them you're looking to waste all their good work. You are to stay in bed and not move again until I say so, understood?"

 

Sam responded with all the acerbic sarcasm he possessed. "I'll just piss myself, shall I."

 

Gene smirked. "I'll send Cartwright round, she'll enjoy helping you with that."

 

"For God's sake, Gene!" 

 

Gene shut the door of the flat behind him and let Sam rant away. The man could take care of himself, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Now continued in [Cinders](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3220130).


End file.
